J Mc

9.3

Incredible power and intensity. A more difficult food match than I remember from last tasting. Complex and rich. — 4 years ago

Kim Cusmano

9.4

Delicious. Smells of blueberry and minerals. Strong tannins. Fragrant. Yum yum yum. Plenty of alcohol to get the boys buzzin. — 6 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

At the Downs Club Magnum Christmas Dinner. A tinge of green to the Lemon yellow colour - very youthful. Restrained for an Art Series where temporarily they joined the Aussie trend at the time for leaner sulphidic burnt match aromas. This is a good balance between their normal peaches and cream and the leaner crisper style. This was an excellent wine and remains one of Australia’s best Chardonnays. — 7 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Perfect match with a grilled steak. This had sweet blackberry & red currant with cedar, saddle leather, earth, game & cigar box. — 8 years ago

Ichiro Kawachi

9.2

Crying out for grilled steak or tagliata. Struggled to find a match for this one in a fugu restaurant. (From the Mayor’s cave). — 8 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.3

Day five on the cruise and this night at Giovanni's Table, the Italian restaurant, aboard the Allure of the Seas. We decided to open up two South African beauties for this.

Deep ruby red with a slight garnet hue on the edges. Layered nose with dark cocoa, floral notes, dark berries and spices. Some classic 'South African' chalk as well. Medium plus tannins (6.5/10) and medium plus to full bodied. Dusty dark black cherries on the attack with some black currants, dark spices, a touch earthy, vanilla and some nutmeg. Seems quite restrained and reserved but well integrated as well. Dry and long finish. Drink till 2037.

Third time trying this limited bottling by De Toren Private Cellars with only 1,132 bottles produced in the 2013 vintage. This wine is made through the use of extreme winemaking techniques such as extreme cropping, extensive hand sorting, 200% new French oak for a total of 18 months and unfiltered. You are probably wondering how it can be 200%? This is done by aging the wine in 100% new French oak barrels for twelve months before transferring them to another set of 100% new French oak barrels for six additional months. — 8 years ago

with India and Sean

Severn G

9.5

So...I had a birthday a couple weeks back, due to scheduling my regular bottle finishing team wasn't available until now, so we're finally doing it up in my grand, unique style.

Notes possibly tomorrow, scores honestly tonight.

Decanted 8H.

24-Hour Update:
Nose has moist chalk, dry limestone-based soil, yellow peach, ripe pineapple, crushed flint, struck match, orange zest, warm Anjou pear, crushed oyster shell, cold butter and honeysuckle.
Palate has warmed (ripe) pineapple, under-ripe yellow peach, hazelnut butter, vanilla, orange zest and white peach.
A great bottle, which is quite youthful and should be revisited around 2025-30. — 4 years ago

Gina Gechter

9.2

Another gift from a friend. I took it to book club. It was a hit. — 6 years ago

Joseph Barsky

9.5

2013 Vintage. 15.3% Alcohol. A GSM of 53%/31%/16% this Vintage. Glenrose/Caliza/Jada Vineyards. Just lovely mouthfeel with complexity and good finish. — 7 years ago

Scott Zeitzer

9.1

A great Rioja! Hey beautiful balance of body acidity tannins. Bright cherry notes with leather undertones. Match very well with a grilled steak. — 8 years ago

with Renee

Cody Short

9.4

One of the best domestic white wines I’ve had in some time. — 8 years ago

Patrick V

9.4

Love it when a plan comes together - cooking chicken fajitas and pesto macaroni for twelve and the loverliest Chard to hop along for the festivities on a hot summer eve. The balance in acidity and fruit is immaculate! Best match of the summer so far. — 8 years ago

LM Segal

9.2

Rock solid Chablis, crisp. Minerality and orange zest. Perfect match for lemon-seared scallops served cold. Nice find @Chris Young! — 9 years ago

with Mark, Joe and 1 other

Martin Sher

9.4

Delicious! Big match stick on the nose, followed by tangerine and peaches. — 5 years ago

Stephen Dodson

8.9

Cheese match — 6 years ago

Carter Snead

9.4

Book night!! — 6 years ago

with Leigh

Isaac Pirolo

9.7

It’s usually a good sign when the winemaker can articulate what the wine is about like this: “Ceras is Botanica’s counterpoint. Its color is more purple than red. It is more about minerals and herbs than fruit and flowers. It is a focused and elegant distillation of rock rather than an opulent cascade of fruit. It is an expression of the geology that lays beneath our land, the tart blue fruits of the coast range and the tender herbs that one finds amongst the trees and mushrooms of the Northwest forest.”

Her 2013 Ceras is yet another example of Maggie Harrison’s sorcery over the vines at Antica Terra. The focus and intensity of flavor is off the charts, yet it maintains an almost ethereal weightlessness, only emphasizing the layer of silk that separates you from the wine. The pungent rock is so on point and distinctive it instantly reminded me of the scent of lichen growing on rocks, which I experienced in Colorado when I was 7 or 8 years old. This sets the stage for the level of complexity exhibited. The fruit has both an extraordinarily high level of purity and yet the woven tapestry of herbs and spices and even fruit blending are impossible not to notice. The key being that nothing is forced.

The nuance of complexity only being noticed when desired is nearly an impossible feat. I can’t help but recall James Conaway quoting Andy Beckstoffer in his recently released book: Napa at Last Light: America’s Eden in an Age of Calamity. “If a wine was a model with a chipped tooth, you’d have to give her something to compensate with. If she needs better shoulders, better breasts, give her some. But her real charm is in how she carries the defect.”

After reading his book, I can tell you I’m definitely not certain whether you can accept his quotes verbatim. One thing is certain, though, Maggie Harrison’s Antica Terra wines carry the defect like no other. — 8 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Over 30 years ago, Jack Cakebread came to photograph Napa for a book & bought a vineyard, Cakebread Cellars was born. I always liked Cakebread’s wine offerings, Chardonnay is no exception, consistent quality year/year. This was an early harvest showing aromas of green fruits, citrus & honey scents. On the palate complex flavors of apple, melon & lemon zest, balanced with good acidity & great mouthfeel. Lingering finish ending with sweet mineral spice. Nice now but a few years in cellar will benefit. — 8 years ago

Fin Jams

9.0

Pretty darn good for something below $25. West Cape Howe, you've done it again. — 9 years ago

Isaac Pirolo

9.3

If tar and rose petal are the stereotype, then I think I'm safe in calling this traditional. However, there's plenty of nuance in the layers and the style that make this special. An old leather-bound book, citrus peel, dried tarragon, and ripe strawberry. The finish is firm, but not without a lively and racy acidity. One of the better food wines I've had in a long while. — 9 years ago